Introduction To Jazz

Take Your Sound To The Next Level

This course introduces the core concepts of jazz piano — from building lush chords and walking basslines to improvising with confidence. Students will learn to listen, create, and groove like a jazz musician.

  • Transform simple chords into rich jazz sounds using extensions and altered tones
  • Explore modes and chord scales to connect harmony, melody, and improvisation
  • Develop smooth voice leading and elegant comping across common progressions
  • Improvise over blues and jazz standards with rhythmic phrasing and motifs
  • Create walking basslines and comping patterns for true jazz ensemble feel

Who This Course Is For

Designed for Pianists Ready to Discover the Language of Jazz

THE CURIOUS IMPROVISER

I’ve played piano for a while but want to understand how jazz players make it sound so effortless. I’m ready to explore harmony, rhythm, and improvisation in a fun, creative way.

THE CLASSICAL CONVERT

I have a strong background in reading music but want to break free from the page — to learn how to swing, comp, and improvise with more freedom and feel.

THE POP OR BLUES PLAYER

I already know chords and progressions, but I want to add color and sophistication — learning jazz voicings, modes, and grooves that elevate my playing.

Recommended Course Progression

Your Musical Journey

Week 1-2

The Language of Jazz

Your jazz journey begins with groove and feel. You’ll start listening differently—hearing how rhythm and harmony create the pulse that defines jazz.

  • Learn the basics of swing rhythm and jazz time feel

  • Understand lead sheets, form, and simple jazz chord symbols

  • Explore the difference between straight and swung eighth notes

Your breakthrough moment: When you feel the swing instead of counting it — the piano becomes rhythm, melody, and motion all at once.

Week 3-4

Building The Sound-Jazz Harmony

Transform simple triads into the lush, sophisticated chords that define the genre.

  • Build and play 7th chords (major, minor, dominant, diminished, half-diminished)

  • Add extensions — 9ths, 11ths, 13ths — to create color and richness

  • Explore upper-structure triads and how they add brilliance to your sound

Your breakthrough moment: When you strike a single chord and it finally sounds like jazz.

Week 5-6

Connecting Scales and Chords

Harmony and improvisation start to merge. You’ll learn which scales fit each chord and how to use them musically.

  • Explore chord-scale relationships (Ionian, Dorian, Mixolydian, etc.)

  • Practice improvising small melodic ideas that follow the harmony

  • Strengthen your ear through singing and matching pitches

Your breakthrough moment: Realizing every chord already holds a melody — and you can find it.

Week 7-8

The 12 Bar Blues

The blues is the heart of jazz. You’ll learn the 12-bar blues structure and use it to practice rhythm, phrasing, and call-and-response improvisation.

  • Learn and memorize the 12-bar blues progression

  • Improvise with the blues scale in multiple keys

  • Develop rhythmic phrasing that swings naturally

Your breakthrough moment: When you can sit down and play through the entire blues — soloing, grooving, and smiling.

Week 9-10

Walking Bass and Comping Styles

Balance melody and rhythm as you begin to play like a real jazz pianist.

  • Create walking basslines in the left hand for swing tunes

  • Practice comping patterns that support melody or soloists

  • Use syncopation and space to make your accompaniment breathe

Your breakthrough moment: When your hands move independently — one walking, one comping — and it finally clicks.

Week 11-12

Personal Style and Improvisation

You’ll now combine everything you’ve learned to create your own unique jazz voice. Through guided exploration, you’ll find the sounds and phrases that define your playing.

  • Improvise over jazz standards and simple progressions

  • Experiment with quartal voicings (built in fourths) for modern texture

  • Record your solos for feedback and reflection

  • Study classic jazz recordings for phrasing and tone

Your breakthrough moment: When you hear yourself on playback and think, “That actually sounds like jazz — and it’s me.”

Course Materials & Resources

Everything You Need to Be Successful

Recommended Course Supplements

  • Structured Method Book
  • Practice Guides: How to practice effectively between lessons 
  • Flash Cards

iPad Apps for Enhanced Learning

  • Rhythm Lab: Interactive rhythm training 
  • Flash App Derby: Note recognition training
  • Sight Reading Factory: Sight reading training
  • Metrotimer: Advanced metronome with subdivision options

Home Practice Support

  • Weekly practice assignments with clear objectives 
  • Video demonstrations of proper technique 
  • Troubleshooting guides for common challenges 
  • Progress milestones to celebrate achievements

Common Questions

No prior jazz experience is required. If you’re comfortable playing basic chords or simple pieces, you’ll have the foundation needed to begin exploring jazz harmony, rhythm, and improvisation.

Jazz can seem complex at first, but it becomes much more approachable when broken into clear steps. This course introduces jazz concepts gradually, helping you understand how chords, scales, and rhythm work together.

Yes. Improvisation is a central part of jazz piano. You’ll learn how to build simple melodic ideas, develop rhythmic phrasing, and improvise naturally over blues progressions and jazz standards.

Basic reading skills are helpful, but jazz musicians often work from lead sheets and chord symbols rather than fully written arrangements. You’ll learn how to interpret these and turn them into your own musical ideas.

Jazz emphasizes groove, harmony, and personal expression. Instead of playing music exactly as written, you learn to interpret chords, create your own voicings, and improvise melodies that bring the music to life.